It is well known that projectile firing weapons, such as rifles, pistols, and shotguns generate a substantial recoil. The force exerted by the weapon against the body of a shooter, or against the structure supporting the weapon is proportional to the mass and velocity of the projectile. It is also proportional to the mass and type of propellant and inversely proportional to the mass of the weapon. For an individual firing a small caliber weapon, the recoil forces are manageable. A .22 caliber firearm, utilizing a relatively small charge of powder, generates forces which even a small child can anticipate and accommodate if properly trained. However, for larger caliber weapons, which utilize large powder charges, the recoil forces are substantially larger. They can result in great discomfort to the person firing the weapon and, in extreme cases, can cause personal injury.
A desirable object is to control or limit the recoil generated by such weapons. It has long been known that the undesirable recoil characteristics of firearms can be diminished by the use of a muzzle gas dispersing device, commonly known as a muzzle brake. By diverting a portion of the hot muzzle gases to a direction different than that of the bore of the gun barrel, the recoil forces are reduced. However, substantial room for improvement in the reduction of recoil utilizing this method may yet be realized by improved technologies.
Muzzle brakes currently in use have substantial undesirable side effects. Such muzzle brakes cause a significant increase in the amount of perceived noise generated by the discharge of the weapon. This is due, in large measure, to the use of relatively few openings or diverters having relatively large areas. Commonly, two to four identical large backward leaning slots are cut into the top of a barrel's muzzle or an attached muzzle brake in an irregular pattern. Such diverters remove hot gasses rapidly and thereby shift the sonic energy to frequencies that are undesirable, cause muzzle blast, and concentrate sonic energy near specific frequencies. A need exists in the art for a muzzle brake that meters the escaping gasses so they are removed more slowly.